Quilt-knotting machine.



Patented Oct. I5, I90]. W. H. PALMER, 1a..

QUILT KNOTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1891.)

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W. H. PALMER, JR. QUILT KNQTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1891.)

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No. 684,587. Patented Oct. I5, I91. w. H. PALMER, 1a.. GUILT KNOTTINGMACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1891.)

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No. 684,587. Patented Oct. l5, I90I. w. PALMER, 1a.. QUILT KNOTTINGMACHINE.

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No. 684,587. Patented Oct. 15, 1901. W. H. PALMER, 18.. GUILT KNOTTINGMACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1891.)

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(Application flied Dec. 14, 1891.)

No. 684,587. Patented Oct. 15, I90.

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No. 684,587. Patented Oct. 15, IBM. W. H. PALMER, 1H,. QUILT KNOTTINGMAGHlNE.

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(Application filed Dec. 14, 1891.)

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GUILT KNOTTING MACHINE.

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No. 684,587. Patented Oct. l5, IQOI. w. H. PALMER, 1a.. QUILT KNOTTINGMACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM H. PALMER, JR, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PALMERBROTHERS COMPANY, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

QUlLT-KNOTTING MACHINE.

$PEGEFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 8 ,587, dated tober901- Application filed December 14, 1891. Serial No. 414,986. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. PALMER, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inKnotting- Machines, which improvements are fully set forth and describedin the following specification, reference being bad to the accom paronying sixteen sheets of drawings.

Myinvention has for its object the production of automatic mechanismswhich being combined in a single structure and working in harmony willfeed compound fabric of the class used in making bed-comfortables andtie the face fabrics and interposed filling together by a multiple ofsections of knotted yarn, these knots being isolated from eachother-tl1at is to say, separated by an appreciable spaceand of suchnumber and so disposed throughout the comfortable that the filling andcover fabrics are held against displacement on each other. The knotsthus provided may be arranged in rows crossing each other at rightangles or may be arranged in quincunx form, as may be preferred, theformer arrangement beingillustrated in Figure 32 of the drawings andthelatterin Fig. 33.

I prefer to use in connection with my newlyinvented knotting-machinecompound fabric in continuous length, although it is equally valuableand performs its operations as perfectly when the fabric is firstcutinto sections of the size of a finished comfortable.

35 Embodied in the said machine are mechanisms for feeding the preparedfabric forward at stated times, for shunting the same to one side whenit is desired to produce knots arranged in quinc'unx form, for clampingthe 40 fabric at several points Where knots are to be formed, and fortying said knots. To opcrate these specified principal mechanisms atproper times, suitable elemental mechanisms and connections areprovided, each be- 5 ing in turn described hereinafter.

The drawings hereto annexed show the said machine as a whole and also(for a more clear understanding of the same) in detail, the detail andfractional views being in many instances drawn on an enlarged scale-thatis to say, Sheets 1, 2, 3, and 16 are one-eighth of full size, Sheets 4,5, 8, 9, 10, ll, 12, 13, and 14 are one-fourth size, and Sheets 6, 7,and 15 are one-half size.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front side ele- 5; vation of a machine ofmy new construction; and Fig. 2, an elevation of the same from theleft-hand end, showing particularly the camshaft and its drivingmechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the opposite or right-hand frame ofthe machine, showing the mechanism for operating the needle-arm. Said machine may be of any desired length and may contain any desired nu mberof knotting mechanisms. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upperportion of my machine on line X of Fig. 1 looking in the directionindicated by the arrow, and Fig. 5 is a top view of the nippers orfingers 98 98 and portions of their actuating-rods. Fig. (5 is an outerside ele- 7o vation of the lower portion of frame I); and Fig. 7, asimilar view, enlarged, of the upper portion of said frame with itsattached parts. Fig. 8 shows a portion of the angle-bar or head thatsupports the series of spiral hooks employed in the formation of a knotand also illustrates the means provided for rotating said hooks. Fig. 9is a cross-sectional view on lineX of Fig. 8, the spiral hook beingremoved.

In Figs. 10 and 10 I have shown in detail the mechanism provided forfeeding the compound fabric forward between the operations of knottin g.Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the machine, showingthe needle threaded and the several parts of the knotting mechanism intheir respective positions as if about to begin the formation of a knot.Figs. 12 to 23 (both inclusive) show the successive positions assumed bythe knottying mechanism during the operation of forming a complete knot.Figs. 24., 25, 26, and 27 are details of the main driving-shaft of mymachine, showing the manner of distributing motion to the fabric-feedingdevices and to the vertical cam-shaft 29. Figs. 28, 5 29, 30, and 31illustrate a simple form of switch, by means of which the compoundfabric is automatically shunted from side to side as it is fed forward.Figs. 32 and 33 illustrate the manner in which the series of 109 knotsmay be disposed through the face of the comfortable.

The framework of my machine consists of two end uprights ab andaconnecting anglebar 0, the bar being of suitable size, shape, andstrength to receive and support the various elementary parts of theknotting mechanisms.

The reference-figures denote the main or driving shaft of the machine,journaled in ratchet-wheel.

frames 0t 1) and provided at one end with fast and loose pulleys 11 12,as shown, or, if pre' ferred, with any convenient form offrictionally-acting clutch-pulley. Shaft 10 bears at each end a fastgear 13, that meshes with a larger loose gear 14, secured to a sleeve14' on a supplemental shaft 15, also journaled in frames ct b. Undercertain conditions which I will proceed to describe the shaft 15 iscaused to rotate, special attention being now called to Sheets 1, 2, 5,and 14 of the drawings. Loosely fitted on shaft 10, adjajacent to gear13, is a ratchet-wheel 16, having secured to its face a disk 17, whoseperiphery is cut away or notched, as at 18, Fig. 6, to form an edge cam,against which bears an arm 19, pivoted to a stud 20, projecting fromframe a. A spring 21, serving as a detent, extends upward from the hubof leverarm 19 and rests against the notches of the Spring 21 also serveto hold the said lever-arm in constant engagement with the cam 17.Secured to the gears 14, already described, are disks 22, one of saiddisks having a pin 23 projecting from its face in such relation to theratchet-wheel 16 that at each revolution of said disk 22 the pin willengage a single tooth of the ratchet-wheel and move said Wheel forward acorresponding distance, the wheel being prevented from jumping ahead bymomentum by the detent 21, which snaps from tooth to tooth. It will nowbe understood that the constantly-revolving gear 13 imparts continuousrotary motion to gear 14 and its connected disk 22 and that pin 23 willcause ratchet-wheel 16 and its cam-disk 17 to rotate with anintermittent or step-by-step movement; also, that during each revolutionof disk 17 the lever- 4 arm 19,following the edge of said disk, will beallowed to raise slightly during the passage of the cam-notch 18.

Secured to the sleeve let on shaft 15 is a disk 25, serving as one-halfof a clutch, the companion disk 24 being secured directly to said shaft15, as best seen in Fig. 25. Both faces of said clutch are illustratedin Fig. 27. Section 24has a radial projection 24:, to which is hung alatch 26 in line with clutch-section 25, whose periphery is notched, asat 25, to receive the inwardly-bent end of the latch, said bent endbeing held normally in engagement with the notch 25 (or with theperiphery of the disk 25) by any suitable spring as, for example, a wirespring coiled around the stud on which the latch is hung. The oppositeend of the latch projects radially from the disks, forming a spur orhorn 26, that is in vertical alinement with the lever-arm 19,

already referred to. The end of said leverarm is of such length that itreaches a point immediately under the described clutch-disk 25, and whenallowed to rise by notch 18 said free end lies in the circular path ofhorn 26 as the latter revolves.

Assuming that the clutch-disks 24: 25 are locked together by latch 26,the shaft 15 will be caused to rotate with gear 14 and its sleeve 14:until such time as the intermittently-moving ratchet-wheel 16 shallbring the camnotch 18 around and so permit the lever-arm 19 to rise.When this occurs, the horn 26 of the latch 26 abuts the end of saidleverarm and the bent end of the latch is withdrawn from the notch 25.The clutch-section 24 and its connected shaft 15 then stop and remain atrest until such time as the end of lever arm 19 is again depressed, whenlatch 26 is immediately thrown into locking engagement with disk 25 andthe shaft 15 starts again. I have provided the form of clutch justdescribed for the reason that it is simple in construction; but it willbe obvious that other forms of clutches could be readily substitutedtherefor.

The driving mechanism thus far explained provides for shaft 15 a slowrotary movement, with periods of rest (at stated times) propor= tionateto the length of cam-notch l8. During these periods of rest the knottingdevices, which are controlled by shaft 15, remain inactive, while thefabric-feeding mechanism continues to operate with this result: the fab=ric is fed along regularly; but one or more rows of knots are omitted,leaving at stated distances a wide space between said rows of knots.When it is desired later to cut the knotted fabric into suitable lengthsto form comfortables, it (the fabric) is out between the rows in thesewide clear spaces, thus leaving the ends of the comfortable free fromknots and in readiness to receive the strip of binding-cloth or otherfinish, which is secured around the edges of the completed quilt orcomfortable. The shaft 15 extends through frame I) and has secured toits end a bevelgear 27, that meshes with a corresponding gear 28 on avertical shaft 29, hung in bearings 30, bolted to said frame I). Thisvertical shaft bears a number of groove-cams,

each of which serves an important purpose and will be described in itsproper place.

The fabric-feeding devices which I prefer to employ consist, in brief,of a ribbed cylinder so supported that it may be lowered, rotated tofeed the fabric,shunted lengthwise,and finally raised again intoposition for the knotting operation. Said cylinder is indicated byreference-figures 31 and is loosely mounted on a bar 32, which is heldagainst lateral displacement at each end by vertical guides 33, securedto the inner sides of the frames at b, the bar being free to rise andfall within said guides. Each end of cylinder 31 is journaled in acollar 34:, having trunnions that are supported in the upper ends ofbars 35, whose lower ends are connected by ball-and-socket joints withthe free ends of arms 36, hinged to the machine-frame. Pivoted to oneside of arms 36 are rolls 37, that rest on the camdisks 22, one of saiddisks having been referred to as bearing the pin 23, that actuates theratchetwheel 16. At each revolution of cam-disks 22 the free ends oflevers 36 are allowed to drop for an instant, thus permitting the bar 32to move downward in the guides 33. On one end of bar 32 is a loosegear-segment 39, that meshes with a fixed rack 40 and serves inconnection with the pawl and ratchet hereinafter described to partiallyrotate the cylinder as the latter is lowered. This is done for thepurpose of bringing successively into proper position each of a seriesof radial ribs 41, that extend from end to end of the cylinder and onwhich the compound fabric is clamped while the knots are being tied. Theribs as they rise to place force the fabric under a system ofpresser-feet 42, and thus crimp the fabric and double it back on eachside of the top rib, as most clearly seen in Fig. 14, where the fabricis indicated by the reference-letter c. The several presser-feet areattached to a fixed rod 43 in such manner that they may be independentlyadjusted on said rod, or the latter may be rocked in its hearings toadjust simultaneously the entire series of feet. After such adjustmentthe rod is clamped in place by means of set-screws 43. Gear 39 is formedwith a lateral arm 39', to which is hung a pawl 45, whose point maycoact with a ratchet-wheel 44, having teeth or notches equal in numberto the ribs 41, said ratchet being fixed to said cylinder. When thecylinder begins to descend, gear 39 is caused to partially rotate byrack 40, and at the same time the pawl 45, carried by said gear, engagesa tooth of ratchet-wheel 44 and rolls the cylinder 31 forward as itdescends, thus bringing the next rib 41 into position to pass beneaththe presser-feet and moving the fabric forward to receive a new row ofknots. The arrangement of ratchet-teeth relative to pawl 45 is such thatthe roll drops a considerable distance before said pawl engages theteeth, thus permitting the upper rib 41 and the fabric to pass below thecurved presserfeet before said roll begins to revolve;

hen it is desired to produce knots in quincunx form, I provide switches,as shown in details in Figs. 28 to 31, that operate to slide thecylinder lengthwise on its bar 32 at each feeding of the fabric. Theseswitches are secured to the frames 0. 12 adjacent to bars 35 and consistof plates 45 with angular edges or walls 46, having pivoted within therecess so formed a wedge-shaped piece 47, that is adapted to be swungfrom side to side in said recess within the limits defined by the anglewalls 46. The upper end of said wedgeshaped piece 47 is shaped as aninverted letter V, and immediately over said piece is a flat spring 48,whose free end is bent downward, terminating in a sharp edge thatengages the V-shaped end of the wedge-piece and operates to crowd saidpiece to the right or left hand, as the case may be, and to throw thepoint of the wedge into contact with one of the walls 46. When the pointof the wedge is carried past the center of its pivot, the V-shapedprojection at the upper end forces spring 48 upward and allows it topass to the opposite side of said V, as will be readily understood byreference to thedetail views of thecomplete switch.

Journaled on a stud projecting from one side of each bar 35 is a roller49, which, as the bar is raised and lowered, travels in the recess 45,being governed in its course by the described wedge-shaped piece. In thedetail views 29 to 31 bar 35 is not shown; but its roller 49 isillustrated in several positions, each of which I will explain.Beginning with Fig. 28, we will assume that the roller is passingupward. Just before reaching the limit of its travel it engages andpushes before it a laterally-projecting horn 47 on the wedgeshaped piece47 and rocks said wedge on its pivot until the point of spring 48 passesthe highest point of the V- shaped end, when said spring at once forcesthe wedge over into the position shown in Fig. 29. When the rollerreverses its movement and travels downward, it crowds the point of thewedge toward the center of recess 45, but not far enough to permit thespring to pass the V- point, (see Fig. 30,) so that after the rollerdrops below said wedge the latter is forced by the spring into theposition shown in Fig. 31. At the next upward movement of the roller itand the connected bar 35 are shunted to the right hand or opposite sideof the recess, as also explained by Fig. 31. When said roller nearlyreaches its highest position, it engages a horn 47 on the wedge andforces it over into the position illustrated in Fig. 28. The continuedupward and downward movement of the bar and roller acting in connectionwith the described switch serves to shunt the ribbed cylinder 31alternately to the right and left hand, thus changing the position ofthe fabric between the successive knottin g operations. The ribs 41 oncylinder 31 are notched, as at 50, at the points where the needles areto pass through the crimped fabric, and the several presser-feet arealso cut away (forming an oval slot, as seen in Fig. 1) to allow thepassage of said needles. These needles 51 are carried by reciprocatingneedle-arms 52, secured to a rock-shaft d, hung in bearings at the topof the machine, said rock-shaft being actuated at proper times bymechanism best explained in Fig. 3, in which 53 denotes a heart-cam hungon a stud projecting from frame a, and 54 a gear connected to said camand driven bya similar gear 55 on the end of shaft 15. (See Figs. 1 and24.) 56 denotes an arm secured to rock-shaft d at one end, its oppositeor free end being connected by a rod 57 with one end of an angle-lever58,

that is fulcrumed near its center on a stud 59 in frame a. The lower endof this anglelever bears a roller 60, that rests on and follows theperiphery of cam 53. At each revolution of the earn the angle-lever, rod57, and arm 56 operate together to rock shaft 01 and the entire seriesof needle-arms, and thus cause the needles to move forward in areshapedpaths and to pass with the thread through the fabric that has previouslybeen crimped upon the upper rib 41. The normal or starting position ofthe needle is perhaps best seen in Fig. 11, while its extreme forwardposition is shown in Fig. 12. The rod 57 is connected by arm 56 in suchmanner that it may readily be adjusted toward or away from therock-shaft d to vary the lever age and resulting throw of theneedle-arms 52. Provision for such adjustment is desirable, if notabsolutely necessary, for the reason that in knotting fabrics ofdifferent thickness different lengths of yarn are required- If no meansof regulating the throw of the needle were provided, it would benecessary to plan the machine for use with the thickest fabric, and whenused with thin fabric a piece of yarn would be wasted on the formationof each knot. By providing suitable adjustment, as here shown, themovement of the needle may be regulated to deliver exactly the requiredlength of yarn and so avoid such loss.

Brackets or bars 61 are fastened along the top of the machine to supportbobbins, from which the knotting-yarn may be drawn by the needles, asrequired, a wire tension-eye 62 being preferably provided immediatelyover-each bobbin to insure the perfect renderin g of said yarn, whichthen passes through suitable eyes 63 64 on the needle-arm to and throughthe eye of the needle, which is near its point, as in sewing-machineneedles.

The knotting mechanism includes several elements, which while they workin harmony are distinct in character and action and are each operatedindependently of the others. These elementary mechanisms consist of,first, the needle whose office is to pass the yarn through the fabric,as already explained; second, a hook for holding a loop of the yarn asthe needle recedes; third, nippers for holding the yarn on the oppositeor needle side;

fourth, a spiral hook for grasping the yarn and interlacing it in suchmanner that a perfect knot is produced; fifth, a depending-wire (orlooper) arranged to rotate around said spiralhooktoassistin forming theknot; sixth, a stripping-hook attached to the presser-foot, and,seventh, a knife for severing the yarn on completing the knot.

Turning now to Figs. 4, 7, 8, and 11, the reference-figures 65 denotejournal-bearings secured to the girder-frame 0, having hung thereinvertical shafts 66 and 67, which re spectivelybear at their lower endsthe spiral hook 68 and looper 69. The peculiar arrangement and mode forsupporting these devices permit them to be raised, lowered, or rotated.Shaft 67, which bears the looper-wire 69, is tubular and is journaledonly in the lower bearing 65. The lower end of said tube is formed witha lateral arm 67' to receive the looper 69, and the upper end bears awide gear 70, that meshes with and may be rotated by a rack 71, that islongitudinally movable in slotted plates 72, secured between thejournal-bearings 65. When rack 71 is moved lengthwise, gear and tube 67are partly rotated, thus causing the looper 69 to swing around thespiral hook 68. To cause said looper to rise or fall at desired times, Iprovide a fixed collar 73 beneath the lower bearing 65 and cut in theperiphery of said collar a cam-groove 74. When the tube 67 is rotated,the stud 76, following the camgroove, causes said tube to assume thevary ing course of the groove and to correspondingly raise or lower thelooper 69, carried by said tube. The shaft 66, which carries andcontrols the spiral hook 68, is journaled at its lower portion in thedescribed tube 67 (see Fig. 9) and at its upper end rotates in a collar77, loosely fitted in the upper journalbearing 65. Above collar 77 is anarrow collar 78, secured to shaft 66 by set-screw or spline, and belowit is the gear 79. This gear 79 meshes with a rack 80, arranged to slidein the same manner as the lower rack 71, and it will be understood thatwhen rack 80 is moved the shaft 66 and the spiral hook will becorrespondingly rotated. Provision is also made for raising the shaft 66and spiral hook as follows: A shaft 81, parallel with the racks 71 and80, is located in the rear of the lower end of collar 77, and on thisshaft are fixed collars 82, that are cut away in part, as shown in Fig.9, to receive a radial spur 83, projecting from collar 77. A spring 84is provided between said spur and a bracket on the upper journal-bearing65 and serves by its expansive force to hold the collar 77, shaft 66,and the spiral hook in their lowest positions. When, however, thehorizontal shaft 81 is rocked slightly, collars 82 force spur 83 and itsconnected parts upward, and it will thus be seen that the spiral hookmay be rotated and at the same time moved vertically in its bearings.

Thehook whichI have referred to as holding the loop of yarn as theneedle recedes is indicated by reference'figures 84 and is shown clearlyin several views. The hooks of the entire series are secured to a rod85, to which is also secured at one end an arm 86, Whose free end isconnected by rod 87 with one end of a lever 88, fulcrumed on a stud 89,projecting from the frame I), the other end of said lever bearing aroller that enters and is guided by a groove-cam e on the vertical shaft29. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 7.) When cam cis rotated, lever 88 and rod 87are caused to move upward or downward, according to the course of thecam-groove, and rod 85 is rocked to raise or depress the hook 84. Rod 85is

